"Sh*t, I just want to get better. Thats what pushed me to do it, and it worked well" Chauncey Billups and other NBA stars on acupuncture -…

Chauncey Billups

Winslow Townson - USA TODAY Sports

The last thing every NBA star would want to happen is injuries. Whether minor or major, an injury is a headache for the players and the teams. Over the years, an array of rehabilitation procedures emerged to speed up the recovery of NBA players, and apparently, some of them rely on acupuncture, a famous alternative medicine treatment from China.

The late Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Charles Barkley were among the NBA legends who reportedly used acupuncture during their active years in the league. Shaquille ONeal first used it in 2002 to aid a big toe injury and once again for hamstring pain.

Ill get some acupuncture and get rid of it, ONeal said via Hoopshype. Ive always been a connoisseur of ancient medicine.

Aside from ONeal, former Detroit Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups had also been a supporter of acupuncture. The 2004 NBA Finals MVP said he used the traditional medicine while recovering from his torn Achilles in 2012. And even though Billups admitted that he wasnt fond of needles and stuff, he tried it. Surprisingly, it helped ease the pain, and after several weeks, he could do leg workouts again.

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I tried it and it did work really well, Billups told Hoopshype in 2017. It helped the swelling and took some of the pain away, so it became a weekly thing for me for a while. I dont love needles, but I was at the point where I was like, Sh*t, I just want to get better. Thats what pushed me to do it, and it worked well. Im not going to lie, it was pretty cool.

Eleven-year NBA veteran Jared Jeffries had the same experience with acupuncture. According to Jeffries, he had been hearing some positive feedback about it, so he gave it a shot. And like Billups, Jeffries was surprised that it worked.

It was for my knee, and Id heard that it would help certain muscles around my knee relax, Jeffries said. I went to see an acupuncturist when I was in Washington and I liked it. I was looking for an alternative way to relieve pain and loosen the muscles, and it worked.

Billups went on and refuted the famous belief that needles hurt. More importantly, Mr. Big Shot recommends it to his fellow athletes.

The only reason Id recommend it is because Ive seen it work for me, he added. Its not like Ive read about it or heard about, Ive seen it work. I helped me through my Achilles recovery, so I would definitely recommend it.

Whether its your favorite NBA superstar raving about acupuncture, theres only one way to find out if it really works. And that is to go out there and try it.

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"Sh*t, I just want to get better. Thats what pushed me to do it, and it worked well" Chauncey Billups and other NBA stars on acupuncture -...